Submit
by BeautifulBestseller
Summary: Harvey and Mike are in an established dom/sub relationship. Mike decides he isn't getting enough atttention and deliberately steps out of line. Contains spanking. And gay stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**This is what happens when I'm bored at Christmas. Couldn't be bothered to proof read. If ya think spanking is bad don't read lol. And remember pals if you want it, it gotta be consensual. Leave reviews if you like / want more.**

It had been a busy two weeks. The case they were working on was possibly the biggest one that Mike had encountered, and as fate would have it, it brought the most complex and difficult clients, too. It was emotionally wearing, for Mike, and intellectually overbearing, for Harvey. He was having to anticipate not just the opposition's next step, but the whole series of next steps they might make. Harvey had very nearly met his match.

As such, there was no time for anything. They left Harvey's flat at 7ish, and didn't get back until 1 or 2 in the morning. They collapsed in bed, slept, then did the same thing all over again. Harvey ate food that Donna provided for him, Mike ate on the move as he caught cabs all over the city on errands for Harvey. And Harvey was so caught up in the case, that he barely acknowledged Mike. He'd given him a couple of sharp reprimands when he was being sassy, but that was it. And, there had been absolutely no sex. Which, Mike told himself, was fine. But _some_ attention would have been nice.

Mike thought that perhaps he was finally experiencing the mysterious sub drop. He had never come close before, what with the Harvey's overbearing attentiveness. There was never a day where Harvey wasn't possessing him, guiding him, making sure he was alright. Until the case happened. And Mike felt neglected and moody. And sad. And lonely. A week and a half into the case, Mike had decided that he had completely had enough, so he decided to test the limits of Harvey's distraction.

"Mike, can you proof read these?" Harvey asked, not even looking up from his computer as he used one finger to prod a pile of files towards Mike.

"Later," Mike mumbled after a pause, a pause in which he had considered whether or not to respond like that or to play it safe. "I'm busy."

There was a pause, in which Mike imagined a whole host of possible painful deaths.

"Look at me."

There it was. The _voice._ Mike nearly giggled in glee. Sub drop, fuck you. He slowly raised his eyes, meeting Harvey's which had gone cold with rage. Harvey's eyes bored into Mike's for a good thirty seconds, long enough to make Mike's mouth go dry with nerves and lust. _That's it, Harvey. Control me._

"I'm going to let that slide, this time," Harvey said, his tone measured. "I know that we are busy, and I know it is hard. But if you _ever_ disrespect me like that again, Mike, you are going to regret the day God gave you an ass."

Mike wondered if the disappointment he felt was written on his face. Not that it mattered, because, sub reprimanded, Harvey had gone back to his laptop. He hadn't even forced a _yes sir_ out of him. Mike sat there for ten more seconds. He considered throwing a fit, and refusing. He considered ripping up the files. And then he got up and went off to do as he was told. He knew, deep down, that he was scared that even if he did go completely off the deep end, Harvey might not do anything. There was no bigger concern for a sub than that his dom might just fail to bring him in line. That would be, quite literally, the end of the world.

Anyway, he reasoned to himself, maybe Harvey would think about it and decide that tonight, Mike needed to be dealt with.

Mike's hope was short lived. When he left at 12.30am, Harvey said he needed to stay a bit longer. He told Mike not to wait for him. "You're looking a bit peaky," he'd told him, absent mindedly snaking an arm around his waist and gently rubbing his hip. In his frustrated state, it was enough to give Mike a semi. Which of course, Harvey was too busy to notice. "Go sleep, Mikey," Harvey continued. "Keep the bed warm for me."

Mike tried not to be stroppy, but he felt very neglected. Stupid Harvey.

When it reached the two week mark, Mike completely lost his mind. That was the only explanation he could come up with for his actions. He must have gone insane. He was sure that no sub in the history of the world ever had so willfully flouted the rules of their dom and lived to tell the tale.

He was supposed to be going across the city to fetch some records from another law firm, and Harvey had told him to be back within an hour and a half. Harvey knew that was pushing it, given the traffic at lunchtime, but he _could_ have done it just about. Mike caught the elevator down to the carpark, because he knew that there was a passageway that went straight through to the cab rank which would be quicker than trying to cross the road. He had good intentions, he really did. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimmer of silver. _His bike._ He hadn't ridden it in months - not since the day Harvey forbade him. There had been an accident in the centre, with a bike and a bus and three cars.

"I won't have it anymore," Harvey had said. "Not through the city. It's too dangerous."

"Harvey, I've ridden it every day for-"

"No," Harvey had said, authority seeping into his tone. "A boy died on his bike yesterday. It's not going to be my boy that's next. If you ever get on this contraption again, without my permission, I will make sure that you can't sit on _anything_ comfortably for a week. Am I clear?"

He had reached out his hand and grasped Mike's chin, glowering at him. Mike would have been annoyed, but it was impossible to ignore the surge of happiness that flooded through him when Harvey referred to him as _my boy._ Plus, he didn't need the bike, not when he was basically living at Harvey's. So, the bike got abandoned in the law firm's car park.

The conversation was a the front of Mike's mind as he approached the bike. He yearned for that Harvey back, right now. The stern, glowering, insistent, bossy, arrogant Harvey. The Harvey that uttered the words _my boy_ and cared fiercely for Mike, overreacting to everything because of his passion for Mike. The Harvey that kissed him and held him and punished him and _fucked_ him. He hadn't seen _that_ Harvey in fourteen long, painful days.

Which is why Mike did something completely stupid. He did the one thing he had so far never dared to do. He willfully disobeyed a direct, non-negotiable order. To make matters far worse, he didn't even have his helmet or his reflective gear. It was the ultimate idiotic move. And Mike didn't think twice as he fished out the keys from the front slot of his messenger bag and unlocked it. Cycling through the city at speed felt a lot like freedom. He cut all the traffic by using the pedestrian crossings, and didn't get stuck in the stupid one way system. He liked the air on his face, the speed of the bike, the feeling of _flying._ It was almost like the feeling he got when he was in subspace. Which, his brain sniped, he hadn't been for a while.

He was back at the firm within 50 minutes, exhilarated and happy. He bounded up the steps to the elevator, and was beaming when he entered Harvey's office. He dumped the records in front of Harvey and flopped down on the sofa, having grabbed a croissant from the basket at Harvey's elbow. Harvey was within the box of records within seconds, eyes feverishly scanning pages. And then, within ten minutes, Harvey exhaled.

"Thank _god,_ " he said. "Thank god!"

"That's awfully religious for a gay man. Do I need to be worried?" Mike remarked round a mouthful of croissant.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Harvey admonished, looking at him properly for the first time in so long. "You aren't an animal."

"Actually, humans are-"

"Shut _up_ ," Harvey interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "We've won the case."

"We...have?"

Harvey tossed him the file, his face relaxed at last. Mike picked it up and his eyes picked up the figures quickly, his brain converting them. Embezzlement. Barely there, but there. _Bingo._ It was over. It was finally over. The loooooong nights, the celibacy. The sub drop, the neglect. Yay for Mike.

"Finally!" Mike beamed.

"I need to get to court," Harvey said, standing bolt upright. "Do I have time? Final call in is at 2, can I-"

Harvey had paused, his eyes on his watch and confused look on his face. His eyes travelled slowly to Mike, who had returned to gnawing on his croissant, his other arm tossed behind his head as he lounged on the sofa. He took in the boy's happy demeanour, flushed cheeks and tousled hair, and a suspicion dawned on him.

Mike was still in too good a mood to notice the sudden shift in Harvey's energy, and was shocked when the man sat down on the sofa next to him and dragged him up by his shoulders so they were eye to eye. Mike's insides went funny at the look in Harvey's eyes. It wasn't annoyance, or even anger. It was _pure unadulterated rage._

"Err, are you okay?" Mike squawked, his breath catching in his throat.

"It's 1o'clock," Harvey said, his voice low and dangerous. It was the voice he tended to use on criminals in court. Mike was _dead._ "I asked you to go and get those records around 12. How are you back already?"

"The traffic was-"

Harvey's hand moved faster than the speed of light,as he grabbed the back of Mike's neck and forced the boy to look at him. Mike's heart practically stopped. And then it started hammering. _Shit he knows._

"Choose your next words carefully, Michael," Harvey whispered, his grip tightening. "You know I will not tolerate you lying to me."

Mike's head was a big mess. He knew he had messed up, but now he was feeling even more stupid because the case was _over._ He would have got Harvey back today, anyway. His stunt had been unnecessary. And now, on the the first day he got him back, Harvey was _mad_ at him. That's all he had time for, Mike decided. Being angry. He didn't want to love Mike, or pet Mike, or even go home at the same time as Mike. He just wanted to be angry with him. The rational side of Mike's mind was screaming at him, trying to tell him he was wrong and he was being an idiot. But the sulky sub side of Mike's mind still felt neglected and resentful.

" _What?_ " Mike snarled, reaching back and grabbing Harvey's hand. He wrenched it off him and glowered. " _I_ haven't done anything. _I_ did what you _asked_ like I _always_ do! So what if I was quick, that's not _my_ fault. Why are you always assuming I've done something wrong? _God_ you're such a _twat_ sometimes."

And then there was silence. _Loud_ silence. Mike could see Donna through the glass, her eyes wide in shock. But he was still angry. It wasn't fair. He'd only done it because Harvey wouldn't pay him any attention. It wasn't his fault. It _wasn't._

Harvey was trying to keep his temper. He knew that Donna was listening, and he also knew that he needed to get to court. He didn't have the time he needed to deal with Mike, and he was far too angry to do so, anyway. The boy was looking at him so brazenly that he wanted nothing more than to force him to his knees and make him submit. Clearly, Mike needed more of that than Harvey had been supplying. He waited until he could trust himself to speak.

"You are tired," Harvey said, his rage poorly concealed in the way his voice shook. "We are going to go down to the car, and Ray will drop you off at home on the way to court. You are going to shower, get ready for bed and go to sleep. When I get back home, we are going to talk."

Mike, despite his earlier display, knew better than to disobey direct orders. He swallowed and nodded, following Harvey's direction to stand up. Harvey gathered up the files he needed for the court and picked up his phone, before sweeping out of the door. Mike trailed behind him like a sad puppy, not sure if he was scared or still angry. Donna gave him a sympathetic grimace as he trailed past her and mouthed _you silly boy_ at him. He spared her a tired grin. He knew that she would try and fight his case for him, she always did.

When they got down to the carpark, Mike saw Harvey's eyes go straight to his bike. He knew that Harvey would notice that it was facing the other direction than it had been in the morning. He'd done that deliberately, back when he'd wanted to be caught. Now, though, he intensely regretted those decisions. In the elevator, Harvey had put a possessive hand on the back of Mike's neck. Now, his hand tightened in fury. Mike, sensing he had pushed far past his limits, kept quiet.

They got in the car in silence, Harvey pushing Mike in like he was arresting him. Harvey asked Ray to go to court, dropping by the flat first. And then they were away. Surprisingly, Harvey scooted into the middle seat, so he was next to Mike. As angry as he was, he was also hit by an overwhelming sense of relief. Since it clicked in his head what Mike had done, he'd been imagining a terrible set of scenarios. Mike, ran over by a bus. Mike, with his head split open. Mike, in hospital, strapped to a machine. Mike, dead upon impact. His boy, gone. Because he, Harvey, had failed in his ability to enforce limits and keep him safe. His love overpowered his anger and he grabbed Mike's face, pulling him in for a kiss.

Mike kissed back, shocked at the affection. He had been expecting anger, fury, punishment. Not a kiss. When Harvey pulled away, the look in his eyes was unreadable. He reached a hand out and gently caressed Mike's face, studying it like he had never seen it before. Just when Mike didn't think he could bear the tenderness of the moment, Harvey pulled away.

"We're here," he said, his voice oddly gruff. "Do as I told you. I shouldn't be hours." He kissed Mike on the forehead, then leant over him and opened the car door.

"Okay," Mike said. He didn't say _sir_ like he was supposed to when Harvey gave him orders. He was sure they both noticed the foreignness of the absence. He got out slowly, shut the door behind him and made his way up to the apartment. It was only when he was inside that he started to shake.

His head was a complete mess. He had screwed up. This was definitely the worst thing he had done yet, and he knew that he was deserving of whatever Harvey chose to dole out. But on the flip side, he was still angry at Harvey. He had neglected his sub. All Mike had needed was a little bit of control, to keep him anchored, to stop him spiralling. And Harvey had forgotten to keep him in check. Mike knew it wasn't a good excuse. But he also knew that he had felt really shitty which is why he made his shitty decision. Insides squirmy, he headed for the shower. When he was done, he dressed in jogging bottoms and a loose t-shirt, figuring that must be what Harvey meant by getting ready for bed.

He tried to sleep, but it was impossible. He was wound too tightly. He wandered around the empty apartment, idly tidying things up as he went. Then he tried to watch TV. Then he concocted a brilliant plan in his head where he went and hid in his apartment, sent hostage letters to make Harvey think he had been kidnapped and then return a couple of weeks later. Harvey would be so relieved he was okay, all thoughts of Mike's bike ride would be eradicated. He was worryingly close to trying it. His stressed brain eventually turned off, and he fell asleep on the sofa, the TV remote still clutched in his hand.

Harvey's head was a jumble of contradictions as he stood in the elevator on the way up to his flat. On the one hand, he was ecstatic that the case was finally over and won. One the other hand, he was exhausted and it had been a long two weeks. He'd been unable to spend quality time with Mike, and it had been killing him. It was hard to see that cute little face look at him eagerly, and have to send him off continually to get the things they needed. It was even harder to come back and find him already asleep, or worse, the nights where they didn't even get to lie next to each other in bed.

But now, to make it all worse, Harvey could see that he had failed Mike. He had been too busy to give Mike what the boy needed, and now his sub was running wild. He couldn't even begin to imagine how needy Mike must have been feeling to disobey him so severely just to get attention. Harvey shook his head, an ironic laugh bursting from his lips. His boy had the worst timing. If only he had held on for 2 more hours, everything would have been fine.

His heart twinged when he saw Mike, asleep on the sofa in a too big t-shirt. He put his keys down silently, shrugged off his suit jacket and slipped out of his shoes. He padded over to his Mike, and sank down on the floor next to him. He looked positively angelic when he was asleep. Harvey sighed. All he wanted to do today was gather the boy in his arms, watch TV with him and have a conversation that didn't involve the damn case. But he knew that wasn't what Mike needed. Mike had clearly gone off the deep end with the lack of structure and the lack of Harvey's attention. Harvey was suspicious that he had experienced sub drop, which was unfortunate because Harvey had _tried_ to keep Mike in line with reprimands and firm touches, but clearly it hadn't been enough. Mike needed _more_.

Mike woke up after about twenty minutes of Harvey watching him sleep. He looked like a small duckling, resurfacing after going under water for the first time. It was unbearably cute.

"You're back," Mike said, rubbing his sleepy hand on Harvey's chest. Harvey smirked and grabbed his hand.

"Astute, as always," he replied gently. "It's all over. We won."

"Well done," Mike yawned, sitting up. Harvey moved up off the floor to sit next to him, and without thinking, drew the boy into his side. He was allowed to be nice first, right?

"What am I going to do with you, Mikey?" he sighed, knotting his fingers through Mike's fluffy, strawberry scented hair. "Hmm?"

He was expecting sheepishness, or contriteness, or begging. Those were usual, from Mike. However, Mike instantly stiffened and pulled away, scuppering Harvey's plans to have a sane, gentle conversation about wrongdoing. He looked every bit as angry and disrespectful as he had in Harvey's office.

" _Nothing_ ," Mike hissed. "Because I didn't _do_ anything wrong, _you're_ just looking for an excuse to have a go at me."

"Mike, you're on thin ice," Harvey said quietly, still trying to be lenient and understanding.

" _No I'm not!"_ Mike bellowed, standing up with both fists clenched. He looked every bit like a toddler having a tantrum. " _I didn't do anything!"_

Mike wasn't sure what was wrong with Harvey. Why was he being all calm and nice? Did he just want to cuddle on the sofa or something? Where was his goddamn dom when he needed him? Usually, Harvey was in dom mode the second Mike even said a swear word. And now, when Mike needed the release, after two weeks of pent up frustration, Mike disobeying a huge rule wasn't enough to snap him into it?

" _Mike,_ " Harvey stood up slowly, exhausted. What was Mike _doing?_ He leaned forwards, getting into Mike's personal space, projecting his power without having to exert any effort. "Stop."  
"NO!" Mike screeched, losing it completely. Why was Harvey being so calm? It was _so_ annoying. "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME DO ANYTHING! YOU CAN'T-"

"Get in the corner," Harvey interrupts, his voice low and cold. It's the voice that gives Mike goosebumps and makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It's _the voice._ Finally. But Mike is too far gone now. Mike is a whirling ball of frustration and anger and headstrong pride.

"No," he snaps obstinately. "No I won't. I didn't do anything."

"Corner."

"Why don't _you_ stand in the corner," Mike spat out, although his insides are shaking. Why doesn't he know when to stop? Harvey's eyes are swimming with fury, and then he's moving towards Mike. Mike tries to run, but the sofa is in the way and he's stuck. Harvey grasps his upper arm firmly, and Mike can hear that he is breathing hard. He hauls Mike across the room, his grip deliciously tight. When they get to the corner, Mike is expecting Harvey to let go. Then he plans to run.

But Harvey doesn't do that. Harvey knows Mike. He spins him round so they are face to face and he stares him down, his eyes cold and his face impassive. Mike stares back obstinately, but he knows he is losing. His insides are melting. Every instinct in him is telling him to drop his eyes. Harvey knows that Mike will drop them himself in about ten seconds, but Harvey wants it on his terms.

"Submit."

One word is enough. The mess in Mike's mind fades away. _Submit._ He has to. He chose this life; he chose Harvey. _Submit._ This is the exact reason he needs this life; Mike can't handle things. Harvey helps him. _Submit._

Mike shuts his eyes, looks up at Harvey and then lowers his eyes to floor.

"Good boy," Harvey whispers, relieved. He was starting to think this would be a breaking in exercise like when Mike first asked for this. He can tell that, even in the world up state Mike has got himself in, being called a good boy reassures him. His stiff muscles relax slightly. And Harvey knows. He didn't need kind, reasonable Harvey. He needed his dom.

"Face the wall. On your knees." Harvey's tone leaves no room for negotiation. Mike, to show that he is submitting now, kneels first. He pauses for five seconds, kneeling at Harvey's feet with his head bowed, and then he turns to face the wall. Without needing to be reminded, he puts his hands on his head. Harvey's pride is indescribable.

"Now," Harvey said, making sure to keep his tone at deadly. "You are going to kneel there, on the cold hard floor, where you belong and have a long hard think about why you are there. If you are unable to supply me with adequate answers, Michael, you are going to spend the next two weeks wishing you had."

With that, Harvey turned on his heel and stalked away to the bedroom. Mike swallowed and let out a shaky breath. Already he felt more stable. It was going to be okay. Harvey hadn't given up on him. He shut his eyes and let himself retreat into his mind. It was time to let go. Harvey had him.

Harvey left Mike there for twenty minutes. Usually he left him longer, but they were both tired and Harvey wanted nothing more but to get to the aftercare bit. When he returned, the boy was just as he had left him, looking like he hadn't moved a muscle. Harvey walked up behind him and reached down, hooking his hands under Mike's armpits. He helped him to his feet; he was unsteady due to his legs having become numb.

He turned him around, keeping his face unreadable. Mike kept looking at the floor, waiting for Harvey to speak. Harvey just looked, astounded that this boy was his. His beautiful eyes, looking at the ground, waiting to do whatever Harvey bid him. _Fuck_.

"Come with me," Harvey instructs, fastening his fingers around Mike's wrist. He leads him to the bedroom, and stops in front of the bench at the bottom of the bed where he has laid out a hairbrush, a belt, a leather paddle and a cane. They are in order; from what Mike finds easiest to handle, to least. Mike had only ever earnt the cane once, early in their relationship, when he was stressed with work pressure. Instead of going to Harvey about it, he had gone to Trevor. Trevor had given him some strong stuff, and Mike was AWOL for three days. When he showed up on Harvey's doorstep, he was dangerously dehydrated and delirious.

Mike stiffens perceptibly when he sees the cane. Harvey doesn't like using it, either. He put it out for show, and tonight he's praying to every god in the sky that Mike doesn't make him use it. Harvey feels the same swell of pride as early when Mike halts himself from voicing his misgivings.

"We are going to have a conversation," Harvey informs Mike lightly. "Look at me."

Mike swallows roughly and drags his eyes up to meet Harvey's. It's far harder to look at him in this context, when all of his angry bravado is gone and he's just a naughty little boy stood in front of his dom. But he holds his nerve, and tries to look contrite. He can see pleasure and pride flickering beneath Harvey's stern demeanour and it stirs arousal inside him.

"We are going to have a conversation," Harvey repeats, stepping forwards so that their chests are almost touching. Mike swallows. "I am going to ask you some questions. You are going to answer. You are already getting this," he points at the hairbrush. "For every question that you do not answer satisfactorily, you will go up a level. You know how this works. Do not make me use each on you, because I will. Believe me, I'm in the mood to, given your actions. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Mike answers without hesitation. They've done this before. The worst he ever got to was the paddle, but the cane wasn't even in question that time. He wonders if Harvey expects him to answer wrong. He hopes he won't.

Harvey sits down on the end of the bed, within reaching distance of the instruments and beckons Mike to him. Mike goes quickly. He stands close enough to Harvey that his legs are pressed against his. Harvey looks him in the eyes, squeezes his hand once and then shakes away all feelings of pity. He knows why he must do this. Mike cannot flout his authority.

"Pull those down," Harvey instructs.

"I-"

" _Did I tell you to speak?"_ Harvey asks, delivering a harsh slap to the back of Mike's thigh. Mike squeaks slightly and hurriedly shakes his head. "I _said_ , pull those down."

Mike hooks his thumbs into the waistband and pushes them down with a sheepish look. He's not wearing any boxers. He looks very embarrassed at that development, and Harvey nearly scoffs. If the boy knew he would be getting spanked, why on earth hadn't he worn boxers?

"That doesn't matter," Harvey told him as he pulled him across his knee. "I would have pulled them down anyway. You know my naughty little boy gets spanked on his bare bottom."

Harvey feels the swell of Mike's cock at those words and smiles. He can smile now Mike can't see his face. He adjusts the boy so that his upper body is on the bed, his ass over Harvey's left leg only. That way, Harvey can use his right leg to secure him if he starts thrashing. Harvey ran his hand over the smooth white lobes of Mike's ass, marvelling as he always did at how such a skinny man can have such a fat ass.

He lifts his hand and brings it down hard against the middle of Mike's ass, making both cheeks wobble. He hears a sharp intake of breath, feels another twitch against his leg, and then he begins full force. He landed several incredibly hard smacks to the bare skin, enjoying the loud slapping noise that filled the room. It didn't take long for Mike's skin to turn from white to pale pink, and as usual, he goes from having a semi to a complete hard on. He knows better than to rub it against Harvey's leg though. He did that once and it didn't end well for him. His ass was burning, but he knew that it was just the beginning. He knew that by the time Harvey was through with him, it would be _throbbing_.

Harvey carried on spanking Mike, keeping a steady pattern up. Left cheek top, left cheek bottom, right cheek top, right cheek bottom. Repeat. Mike was wiggling around, but not too much, which meant that Harvey had to keep going. The questions would come when Mike thought he couldn't take anymore. That was the point. He would take more, because Harvey would give more. Mike would submit.

Harvey increases his swing, and the strength of his hits. Each smack comes harder than the next, leaving handprint outlines on Mike's skin. For his part, Mike is in a horrific state of pain and arousal. He's sure that Harvey has never spanked him this hard and fast before but also his cock is rock hard. He hasn't been touched in two weeks and now he's over Harvey's lap, the warmth of the man's muscular leg pressing against his erection as he dominates him and shows him who's boss. Fuck it's too much, it's so hot and Mike _needs_ him. Mike doesn't intend to come. He would never deliberately come without permission, not after the times he did early on in the relationship. Harvey had taken great pleasure in edging him to oblivion to get him out of that habit.

But, when Harvey landed a particularly harsh swat to Mike's ass crack, his fingers brush slightly inside and the sensation is too much and suddenly against all control, Mike came. Harvey doesn't notice immediately, although Mike isn't sure how given that he can _feel_ the sticky wet patch spreading over the man's trousers. Fuck he's screwed. For a brief second, he considers safewording out. Everything would end, Harvey would clean up, they would watch films and cuddle. But he didn't want to. He wanted to keep going; he wanted Harvey to give him what he had earnt. He was a disobedient sub being punished the way it should be. So instead he decided to do something a little dangerous and speak.

"Harvey," he mumbled, his voice an embarrassing whine. "Harvey."

Harvey paused with his hand in the air and saw Mike's big eyes looking up at him nervously. He was going to reprimand him for speaking and then carry on but something in the man's tone stopped him. He didn't sound like he was trying to get out of anything, more like he needed something.

"Yes?"

"I-uh-I-" Mike had gone bright red and that's when Harvey felt it on his leg. Mike saw the comprehension on Harvey's face and went into panic mode. He started to wiggle and try and push himself off Harvey's lap. "I didn't mean to, I didn't even know it was going to happen, I couldn't tell - I wasn't - I didn't-I swear I didn't even know it was-"

Harvey cut off the babble with a really sharp slap to Mike's thigh which made him howl and then look at Harvey again with those puppy dog eyes.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Harvey says, rubbing his back. "It's been a while, I understand. But if you do it again, I _will_ spend the weekend teaching you self-control. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Mike breathed, relieved.

"And if the stain doesn't come out of these trousers, you're going to be the sorriest little sub in the whole world," Harvey said darkly. Mike didn't doubt that. Harvey was maniacal when it came to his clothes. He made a mental note to take them to the dry cleaners and pay extra for the deepest possible clean. "Now, where were we?"

Mike groaned, the momentary reprieve had been bliss on his burning buttocks. He buried his face in his arms, took a deep breath and tried to keep quiet as Harvey continued his onslaught. Harvey tried to ignore the arousal he felt at Mike's lapse of control. Before, he'd just been feeling tired. Now, he was imagining tying Mike to the bed and fucking him till the morning came.

He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts away. He summoned up an image of Mike getting hit by a bus whilst riding his bike, and his former broodingly annoyed mood returned. Mike notices the change in Harvey's mood when the smacks suddenly become unbearable, each one harder than the last. Harvey's other hand is pressing firmly on his back, keeping him held down so that he can deliver as much sting as possible.

Mike is aware that he is being stubborn. Usually, he gives up struggling within two or three minutes. But for some reason, today, he can't. Maybe it was because he had gone so long without attention, and his stupid subconscious wanted to drag this out or something. Either way, he willed himself to give in to Harvey. He knew, from experience, that the real punishment wouldn't begin until Mike submitted to Harvey and stopped struggling. The longest warm up he'd ever had had lasted over half an hour. If Harvey was anything, it was persistent.

"I have all night," Harvey reminded him, clearly on the same wavelength. "Stop fighting me."

Mike doesn't know if he is supposed to respond to that, so he doesn't.

"You know better than this," Harvey lectured as he began to deliver hard smacks to the tops of Mike's thighs. "I am your dom. If I decide that you need to be punished, then you do. You do not continue to fight me."

Mike's ass is on _fire._ Harvey's stern voice fills his head, making him feel grounded and calm, even with his butt burning like it is. And Mike gives in. Mike lies still as Harvey lands some more stinging slaps to his red skin. He drifts.

"Good boy," Harvey murmurs, "Good boy."

He stops, running his hand over the burning skin before reaching for the hairbrush. Mike bites back his whimper, reminding himself that he is submitting. Harvey presses the wood against Mike's cheeks and it is nice and cold. Mike knows it won't be nice for long.

"Question time," Harvey whispers coldly. "Kneel in front of me. I want you to look me in the eyes when you tell me what you did."

Mike slides off Harvey's lap, flushing slightly when he spots the dried white patch on the suit trousers. He shuffles so that is he is on his knees in front of Harvey, but he can't make himself look at him. His bum _hurts._

" _Mike_ ," Harvey growls. Mike swallows harshly and drags his eyes up to meet Harvey's. Harvey motions for Mike to move closer, so he is literally kneeling between his legs and then tightly grasps his face, tilting his head back so his neck aches slightly.

"Question one," Harvey growls, his eyes menacing. "How did you get across town and back so quickly?"

"I...I - cycled," Mike whispered in a broken voice. "Sir."

Harvey can feel his rage swelling, and reminds himself that he needs to be calm to mete out punishment. If he loses his temper, he will have to step away and delay. Mike needs discipline, not mania. Harvey's fingers tighten slightly on Mike's face and the boy has the decency to look ashamed.

"Question two," Harvey grinds out. "Are you allowed to ride your bike?"

"No sir," Mike replied instantly, chewing on his lip. Harvey uses his thumb to stop him, knowing that he will worry at it till it bleeds without realising.

"Because…"

"It's dangerous," Mike mumbled, looking utterly miserable. "And you want me to be safe."

Harvey doesn't speak. He just looks at Mike, allowing the boy to see the anger and disappointment in his eyes. The moment stretches until Harvey can tell Mike is close to tears.

"Why?" he asks quietly, his voice still laced with warning.

Before he can stop himself, embarrassed by the truth, Mike shrugs. Harvey takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes. He clenches and unclenches his jaw. Mike still doesn't offer an explanation.

"After I have paddled your ass with the hairbrush, I'm going to strap you with the belt," Harvey stated, opening his eyes. Mike winced. "And if you haven't explained yourself in the next ten seconds, we go on to the paddle. I expect complete honesty from you, you know that. When I ask, you tell. One. Two. Three. Four-"

"I was trying to get your attention," Mike blurted out. Harvey stopped counted and tipped his head to the side, indicating for Mike to continue. "I...we...there was no time for us," he whispered, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Now, he realised just how stupid his actions had been. "I thought if I messed up then you would...er...be forced to pay me attention."

"And do you like this attention?" Harvey asks smoothly as he reached a hand behind him and grabs a handful of Mike's stinging ass. "Is this what you wanted? Me to pay attention to my naughty, disobedient little boy?"

Mike shakes his head no.

"So. When you were on your wild ride across the city, disobeying me in the process, were you wearing a helmet?" Harvey asks, and his voice is the most low and dangerous it has been so far.

"No sir," Mike whispers, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"Look at me," Harvey snaps. Mike feels ill as he raises his eyes to meet molten fury. "How _dare_ you disobey a direct order? How _dare_ you? Even if we haven't touched in two weeks, even if you think you are being neglected, _how dare you_ disobey me? You are _mine_. If I tell you not to ride a bike, you don't even goddamn LOOK at a bike. Do you know how I would feel, if you got hurt? Can you imagine how I would feel if you _died_ on your bike? I would have to live with that forever. I would have to live with the fact that my sub disrespected me so much that he disobeyed me."

Mike was silently sobbing by the time Harvey had finished. The pain in the man's voice was too much, the disappointment too overbearing. He couldn't deal with it. He wanted to lie down on the floor and disappear. Harvey cupped Mike's face in both hands, eyes boring into his soul.

"Don't you worry though, Michael," he says. "As long as you got your attention."

"Harvey-" Mike chokes out, distraught.

"No," Harvey snaps. "I haven't finished. If you need something from me, Mike, you come and tell me about it. Were you aware that you were experiencing sub drop?"

"Yes sir," Mike whispered dejectedly.

"What should you have done?" Harvey asked slowly.

"Come to you," Mike whispered. "I should have come to you and told you. I should have done. I should have known that if I needed you, you would have been there. I'm so sorry, Harvey, I didn't think, I just didn't think."

"Good boy," Harvey said, running a gentle hand through Mike's hair. "At least you know what you did wrong. In the future, Mike, I can't have this. You don't disobey me. If you need me, you have to tell me, okay? I can't tell what's going on inside this big brain if you're pretending you're fine whilst going crazy. Okay?"

"Yes sir."

"Now. We've been over the worst thing you did, Mike, but I think you know that there is more," Harvey says smoothly, raising an eyebrow. He removes his hand from Mike's hair and crosses his arms.

"I was rude to you," Mike concedes. "Very rude."

"You were," Harvey nods. "I think someone forgot his place."

"I'm sorry," Mike said. "I just lost it. I just went mad."

"Don't worry," Harvey purrs, his eyes glinting dangerously. "I'm going to take care of it. I'm going to be just like I had to be at the beginning. You've clearly forgotten how to behave, so I will remind you. There will be no more leniency. Maybe that was my mistake in the first place. I have been too kind on my boy. For the next month, I'm going to be watching you like a hawk. Every word out of line that you speak, every dodgy tone or slight hesitation to follow my rules will earn you punishment. If you miss even one _sir,_ you will be punished. If you stare back at me as obstinately as you did earlier, you will be punished. In short, when I say jump, you jump. Or you will have a very sore ass. Are we understanding each other?"

"Yes sir," Mike replies. He feels elated. Things are back to normal. No more loneliness, no more business. Just him and his dom. His elation is dulled slightly when Harvey picks the hairbrush up again and shifts himself back onto the bed.

"Up," Harvey instructs. Mike stands slowly, wincing as the blood rushes back to his knees. Harvey stands too, moves to the head of the bed and gathers up the pillows. He places them on the edge of the bed in a pile and gestures for Mike to lay across them.

"What are you being punished for?" Harvey asks, the hairbrush resting on Mike's butt.

"I disobeyed you and cycled across the city," Mike said, his voice muffled by the pillow he had buried his head in. "And I was rude and disrespectful to you as well."

"Good boy," Harvey praised. "And why are you going to get the belt?"

Mike was silent for a moment, and Harvey dealt a sharp smack of the brush to his butt. Mike squawked and had to catch himself from springing up. _Fuck_ he forgot how much that hurt.

"Because...er...I shrugged at you instead of explaining myself?"

"Exactly," Harvey said. "You know better than that. It all comes down to disobedience. Refusing to answer me is also disobeying me. You will get twenty for the belt for that, at the end, am I clear?"

"Yes Harvey."

"The hairbrush is for the disobedience over the bike," Harvey explains. "This is going to be the worst hairbrushing you've had so far. Do you want me to tie you hands?"

"Yes please," Mike whispers. Harvey had been expecting this, and he is proud of Mike for his acceptance. He picks up the cuffs that he had got out with the rest of the instruments and Mike puts his hands behind him, on the small of his back.

"You're such a good boy," Harvey whispers as he gently fastens Mike's hands together. Mike swells inside at the praise. He'd lost count of the number of times Harvey had uttered his favourite phrase. "What is this for?" He tapped the brush against Mike's ass and knelt down next to him, to get a good swing.

"Disobeying you," Mike answered and then screwed his eyes shut. The first swat lands in the centre of his ass and it is like _fire._ Mike holds still though. Harvey places his spare hand on his back, and this time Mike knows it is to reassure him, not to hold him down. Mike sinks into subspace properly as Harvey paddles his ass, the hairbrush raining down hard and fast on his tender flesh. Mike will never ride a bike again. Mike will never look at a bike again.

Harvey can tell that Mike has given himself completely. The boy lies relatively still, whimpering slightly at each swat but not trying to slither out of the way. His ass becomes a deep red under the sting of the hairbrush, but doesn't blister. Harvey is an expert. He never blisters Mike's ass. That would ruin it. He keeps smacking the brush down on Mike until he can hear the boy sobbing quietly into the pillow. He can hear him whispering _i'm sorry i'm so sorry_ and he knows it's over. The lesson has been learnt.

"Mike," he whispers, setting the brush down. "Mike."

It takes a moment for Mike to come out of his head, and he blinks tears away, turning his head to look at Harvey.

"Last bit now," Harvey tells him. "You've done so well, Mike. So well. What are we doing the belt for?"

"Because I didn't answer you," Mike said. "Sir."

"Good boy," Harvey said. "Now. I want you to count these ones, to keep you focussed. Okay?"

"Okay Harvey," Mike says as Harvey picks up the belt and folds it in half. Damn the boy for that shrug. If only he had answered the first time, this would all be over.

Harvey delivers the whipping as fast as he could, definitely not using the full force he is capable of. He reckons that Mike can't tell though. His ass looks done for. Harvey aims at the lower bits of Mike's butt, where he has more fat, to cushion the blows. And then it is over. Harvey drops the belt to the floor and reaches over, gently undoing the restraints around Mike's wrists. He drops the cuffs on the bench at the end of the bed, and gently rubs his hand on Mike's back.

"M'sorry Harvey," Mike sobs. "I was bad."

"Ssh," Harvey soothed. "You just made a mistake. It's over now."

Harvey continues to rub Mike's back until the sobs begin to subside and then he reaches down and gingerly slides the jogging bottoms up over Mike's red skin.

"At least there's no boxers to come up," Harvey teased as Mike wiggles his bum to get the trousers on. "Seeing as someone goes commando."

Mike propped himself up on his elbow and narrowed his eyes at Harvey, screwing up his face.

"You're not funny," he said.

Harvey grinned then stood up, undoing his belt. He slipped out of his ruined trousers and folded them up, putting them in on top of the chest of drawers. He picked out a pair of jogging bottoms (but black ones, much less chavvy than Mike's grey ones) and slipped them on, before scooping Mike up and carrying him through to the living room.

Mike tangles his fingers in Harvey's hair and snuggles into the man's warm chest. He feels safe.

"Can we have pizza?" he asks sleepily.

"We can," Harvey grins.

"And then sex?"

"If you're up to it," Harvey smirks, shaking his head.

"Is that a joke?" Mike mumbled.

"You are a fiend," Harvey chuckled, kissing his boy on the forehead. Finally. He has him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Review please :) if you have any ideas let me know pleases xox haven't proof read cause I get bored of what I have written**

 **To the person who requested a daddy fic, I personally don't feel I understand that dynamic enough to write it, many apologies. I wouldn't want to do a bad job for lack of understanding.**

The weekend that followed Mike's biggest mistake, was the best of his life. Jessica told Harvey to take the whole weekend, given all the work they had been doing. It started with Harvey bringing him pancakes in bed, complete with chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries.

"The colour of your butt last night," Harvey teased as he set the tray down on the cabinet next to Mike's side of the bed. "Let me see."

It wasn't much effort for Mike to show him - he'd slept on his stomach. Harvey always checked the next day to make sure Mike was okay.

"Wouldn't want to have damaged your penis vessel," Mike mumbled into the pillow as he tugged aside the black satin sheet from his vaguely saw butt.

"Watch it," Harvey fake growled, giving Mike a light swat on his left cheek. Mike rested his cheek on his folded arms and watched Harvey as he gave him a thorough checking. Mike felt felt attended to. Harvey ran his hands lightly over Mike's skin, eyes scanning for any mark that might show he had been too hard on Mike. As usual, there wasn't one. Harvey was good at what he did.

"Right, beautiful, breakfast time," Harvey said, planting a kiss on Mike's butt and then grabbing his hips, flipping him onto his front so he could sit up.

"Alright, no need to manhandle," Mike laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I," said Harvey, sliding into bed next to Mike. "Will manhandle my boy all I like, thank you very much."

And there was a lot of manhandling that weekend. They watched films, they cuddled on the sofa, they had all the sex in the world and on Sunday, they went ice skating. Mike had never seen _anything_ more sexy than Harvey on ice, controlling his body in the same self-assured way he did on solid ground.

On Sunday night, they went to bed early, worn out by their physical activities and conscious that they were back at work early the next day. Harvey had Mike pulled against his side, spooning him whilst using his spare hand to stroke his hair.

"Don't forget what I said," Harvey whispered in Mike's ear, giving him goosebumps.

"Mmph?" Mike mumbled sleepily.

"Regarding you behaviour," Harvey replied, still stroking his hair. "You best be a good boy."

"M'always good boy," Mike slurred. Harvey smiled and nestled into the back of his neck.

They quickly found out, with Harvey on dom hyper alert, that Mike's statement was very far from the truth. Two hours into Monday saw them in the men's toilet, Harvey's leg propped up on the toilet and Mike draped over it, his boxers and pants at his ankles as Harvey brought Mike's belt down on his ass again and again.

Harvey, uncharacteristically, had come strolling into Mike's office to 'check' on him and found him buried in a pro-bono case instead of the work Harvey had assigned. Mike's excuse, that he would be able to Harvey's work in five minutes with his eyes closed had fallen on deaf ears.

"You do as _I_ say," Harvey lectured as he brang the belt down hard on Mike's butt. He was, by no means, giving the boy a full spanking. With a full day at work, and no time for aftercare, that would be nothing short of tyrannical. He was, however, going to make sure his ass hurt every time he sat down. "Small disobediences like that one lead to big disobediences where you decide you have a long enough leash to cycle around the city."

He finished with five particularly mean whips, all delivered rapidly to the top of Mike's thighs. It was all Mike could do not to scream bloody murder and then it was over. Harvey patted MIke on the back.

"Fix your clothes. Mmm," Harvey said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should buy you a leash."

"In your dreams," Mike muttered as he finished doing up his flies. He turned around and Harvey reached down, putting his belt back through his belt loops. The proximity of Harvey's hands to his crotch made Mike shiver.

When Harvey was done, he pulled Mike in for a hug, rubbing a hand through the back of his hair.

"I suggest you buck up your ideas, Mikey," Harvey warned in his ear. "I'm starting to realise how lax I have become. No wonder my boy got so out of hand."

Mike relaxed into the hug and felt a shiver of anticipation down his spine.

-  
Mike managed to last about 26 hours before he found himself getting another spanking. He was slightly crabby because Harvey had made him go and talk to a client he didn't like whilst Harvey got to go to court. Mike loved going to court. Partly, he liked killing it in court, but more than anything he liked to watch Harvey in court. He was inspiring. Powerful. And goddamn sexy.

Harvey had swung by the client's office on his way back from court to pick Mike up, and Mike had stropped unceremoniously into the car. Harvey cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"How did it go?" Harvey asked gently, aware that his choice had upset Mike. It had been necessary though. The case was last minute, Harvey representing a friend in need. Mike didn't know what the case had been about, and he intended to talk to him about it later, when they weren't at work.

He put a hand on Mike's leg, trying to draw the sullen boy back to him.

"Fine," Mike muttered.

" _Mike,_ " the tone was a warning one, and nearly made Mike snap out of it. Nearly. But he _really_ liked going to court with Harvey, and _really_ hated that client. "How was Riley?"

"Fine," Mike said with a shrug.

"What did he say?"

"Fine," Mike muttered.

"How is that a response to my question?" Harvey asked, trying not to roll his eyes. He really didn't want to have to punish Mike. Not when he understood why Mike was being sulky. But on the other hand, he'd witnessed the consequences of not taking the kid in hand when he needed it. He surveyed Mike, who was stubbornly staring out of the window and not answering him.

"You have got ten seconds to give me a proper run down of what happened with the client," Harvey said in a low, dominating voice. He grasped Mike's chin, forcing him to look from the window to him. "Don't you dare sit there and disrespect me like that."

Mike, still feeling sulky, decided that he was fairly safe. Ray was driving, Harvey was hardly going to start smacking him in the back of the car, was he? And by the time they got back to the office, Harvey would have to go see Jessica and he would forget about dealing with Mike and Mike could be left to sulk in peace.

So Mike just averted his eyes from Harvey's gaze and shrugged.

"Told you. It was fine."

Harvey took a deep breath and mentally counted to five. He wondered if a day would come when brilliant, stubborn Mike would stop having these moments. The boy was a classic sub, yet he was ran through with a streak of iron that Harvey wanted to throttle him for sometimes and loved at others.

"Okay," Harvey said softly, but Mike picked up on the edge to his voice. "You're trying to test me. I get it."  
He leaned forwards and tapped once on the back seat, an agreed cue between him and Ray. The partition slid up and suddenly the car was filled with music. Harvey noticed Mike's panicked look as he realised that Harvey really _was_ intending to follow through on his word.

"Harvey - I - well-"

"Too late, Mike," Harvey snapped as he reached over and, well practised, undid Mike's belt buckle with ease. Mike fought against the overwhelming urge to shove Harvey's hands off and swallowed. "You've got to learn that I'm not going to tolerate your disrespect. You came to me at the start of our relationship for this exact reason, you wanted me to help you deal with your behaviour. And now, I'm going to."

"Harvey, look, I'm sorry, I was just upset and-"

"I know you were," Harvey conceded as he unclipped Mike's seat belt and motioned for Mike to lay across his lap. "Which is why I was trying to be lenient with you. But you ignored that and used up your chances."

He waited expectantly for Mike to lay across his lap. Of course, he could easily grab the boy and force him over, but the whole point of the power play was that Mike submitted to him. Mike had to agree that he deserved punishment and submit to it. Harvey usually gave it about 30 seconds before adding further sanctions, but today Mike didn't need them. He sighed petulantly, pushed his trousers down and lay over Harvey's lap.

"Good boy," Harvey praised, impressed with the obedience. Maybe being tougher on Mike was helping after all. He pushed Mike's black boxers down too and landed a hard slap to Mike's left cheek. Mike squeaked.

"I just wanted to see you in court," Mike muttered into the leather car seat.

Harvey decided to ignore that comment. Mike knew better than to talk when he was being punished unless he was being questioned, but because the comment made Harvey grin, he let it go. He loved how much Mike liked watching his in court.

The punishment Harvey meted out was quick but harsh. He slapped faster and harder than he normally did, aware that they didn't have long till they would be back at the office. Mike was bucking and wriggling around, but to no avail. He was trapped with his hands on the floor of the car and nowhere to go, Harvey's hand pinning him down whilst the other one rained hell on his bare ass. He was biting his lip, trying desperately not to cry because he didn't want Ray to hear.

Harvey was aware that Mike probably wasn't going to reach the fully submitted stage because of his self-consciousness, so he decided instead to round it up with some questions.

"Why am I spanking you?" he asked, not pausing in his assault of Mike's butt. It was a shade of pink, with fingerprint outlines at the edges.

"I- ah- uh _Harvey!"_

"The sooner you answer, the sooner it ends," Harvey said sternly, not pausing. It was a technique of Mike's to try and get the smack to stop by pretending he couldn't answer. Harvey, of course, knew that his boy could probably recite the first 1000 digits of Pi whilst being burnt alive, so didn't fall for it.

"I was being disrespectful," Mike hissed, screwing his face up as he tried to ignore the sting. "I was - ah - ow - I was refusing to answer you - aaah - which was disrespectful and then I- ow owwwwww - then I disobeyed you by refusing to answer… I was being disrespectful, and disobedient and I was refusing to answer-"

"Yeah, yeah that's enough," Harvey chuckled as he finally ended the onslaught. "You're not trying to get up to the wordcount on an essay."

Harvey ran a hand down Mike's burning skin, smirking at how warm it was beneath his touch. His hand stung, a lot, and he knew that Mike wouldn't be having a fun afternoon sat at his desk. He made a mental note to tell Donna to tell Norma to tell Louis to make Mike do lots of photocopying. That way Mike would just think Louis was being a jerk, rather than knowing Harvey was being soft.

Harvey tapped twice on the window of the cab, signalling to Ray to drive around the block. He pulled Mike's pants back up, the tugged the boy into his arms, wrapping him into a hug.

"I couldn't take you to court," Harvey breathed against his neck as he rubbed circles on his back. "The case… I was prosecuting. It was drink driving, Mikey. I didn't want you there."

"Oh," Mike mumbled, feeling stupid. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I knew you would get antsy," Harvey continued. "I can tell you now because you're already antsy."

"Yeah whatever," Mike muttered, burying his face against Harvey's neck. "Sorry. You were trying to protect me. And I was dumb. OW!"

Mike shot back from Harvey's neck to glower at him, one hand rubbing his buttock where Harvey had just swatted him hard.

"You know I don't allow you to self-deprecate," Harvey said, raising his eyebrows and trying not to laugh at Mike's overreaction. "You are _not_ dumb. You are my boy, and I look after you and sometimes you make mistakes, that is all. You need to trust my decisions, Mike. If I say no to you, it's because I'm trying to look after you. Okay?"

Mike nodded, stuck out his bottom lip then snuggled back into Harvey's neck, aware that Harvey had bought them a little extra time by telling Ray to go around the block.

-

Things went relatively smoothly for the next two weeks or so, with Mike only needing the occasional warning swat to stop him being rude. Apart from that, he was a perfect angel. Harvey knew that it wouldn't last long. It never did. Mike tried, but he was just a headstrong young man at the end of the day, and often rushed into things without thinking of the consequences.

Mike was stressed. Jessica had given him a couple of cases of his own, telling him that he was ready. Harvey was bogged down with a case he was working with Lewis, so he felt that he couldn't go to him and get help when he needed it. He was making headway with them, but not as much as he would have liked.

"How's it going, buddy?" Harvey asked softly, making him jump. He'd come to the photocopying room to pick up some financials that him and Lewis needed and spotted Mike sat in the corner surrounded by case boxes. He looked adorable, a small furrow between his brow as he tried to figure something out. Harvey had to resist the urge to cross the room in two strides and gather Mike up in a bear hug.

"Fine," Mike nodded, eyes slightly glazed over. Harvey frowned, approached him and used a finger to tip his head back so he was looking at him.

"Have you eaten?" Harvey asked, pressing a hand to Mike's head. He didn't feel warm. "When was the last time you had a drink?"

"Stop fussing," Mike muttered, trying to shrug Harvey off. Harvey pulled out the chair next to Mike and sat down, making eye contact with him. He raised his eyebrows.

"I will repeat myself only once," Harvey said dangerously. He saw Mike's eyes flicker round the room, checking nobody else was there to witness his telling off. He tried not to chuckle. "Have you eaten? When was the last time you had a drink?"

"I had lunch half an hour ago," Mike lied before he could catch himself. He instantly regretted it, but didn't have the stomach to admit the truth. He needed to get these briefs done, he didn't have time to get caught up in a conversation about honesty and the importance of eating.

"And a drink?"

"Er - not for a while," Mike said, deciding to opt for honesty this time.

"Okay," Harvey nodded. "When you're done on that one, I want you to go and get some water or something, okay? And at three o'clock, get something else to eat. You're running yourself ragged and I'm not having it. Can I help with anything?"

Mike felt a surge of love to the man next to him, always ready to offer Mike what he needed and look after him. And Mike had just lied to him. Shit.

"Honestly, I'm fine, thanks Harvey," Mike said, giving him a gentle smile. "You focus on Louis."

Harvey left, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead and a less gentle reminder of what would happen if he didn't go and get a drink soon. Mike's stomach twisted at the lie, and he buried himself back in the briefs in an attempt to quieten the guilt. Within ten minutes, he'd forgotten Harvey's orders to get a drink. His stomach rumbled - he hadn't eaten since breakfast - but he ignored it and carried on working.

At three o'clock, Louis was called in to a partner meeting with Jessica and nearly everyone else, so Harvey decided to go and check on Mike to see if he had eaten. He was really worried about him - he hadn't looked so good earlier, and he didn't want him getting ill. On the way down, he bumped into Julie, the old woman who pushed the lunch trolley.

She beamed at him and rummaged in the tray.

"Glad I bumped into you!" she crowed. "You've been working your associate in to the ground! Couldn't find the darling boy to give him this! I always save him the cheese and onion one, and I had a right battle keeping it out of Louis's hands today, I'll tell you!"

She thrust the sandwich into Harvey's hands and realisation dawned on him.

"You will give it to him, won't you?" she called over her shoulder as she bumbled off. "He's too skinny!"

"Oh he'll get it all right," Harvey replied darkly, spinning on his foot and stalking towards the photocopying room.

Five minutes later, Mike was standing in front of Harvey's desk, trying to stammer out an excuse to the ear burning tirade Harvey had poured on him.

"How _dare_ you lie to me?" Harvey growled when he got no answer. "And how _dare_ you disobey me?"

"Harvey- I - was...I was just _busy_ I just forgot I didn't _mean_ to…" Mike beseeched, widening his eyes at Harvey. That was a lie. I did mean to. Eating would have taken too long.

"Is that so?" Harvey asked, stepping forwards so he was in Mike's space. "I can tell when you are lying."

"Well you coul-" Mike bit down on his lip, cutting himself off. He was about to say _well you couldn't earlier._ It was too late, though. Harvey knew exactly what he had been going to say. He moved over to his desk, pulled out his chair and sat down before looking darkly at Mike.

"Bend over the desk."

" _Harvey!"_ Mike hissed. "Are you _mad?"_

"If I were in your dubious position, I would not be calling me mad," Harvey warned, tipping his head to the side and raising his eyebrows. "Now. Come here."

Mike looked outside at the corridor, and then beseechingly back at Harvey.

"Kiddo, seeing as this exercise is supposed to be teaching you obedience, this is the last time I'm going to tell you," Harvey warned, his voice razor sharp.

Mike pushed himself up out of the chair and rounded the desk, his palms sweating. He was embarrassed and _turned on._ The thought of Harvey spanking him _here_ , taking what was his wherever he wanted... _fuck._ Harvey handed him a case file and a highlighter. Mike looked confused.

"Bend over," Harvey instructed. "To anyone walking by, it will look like my irritating associate is leaning on my desk to do his reading, again. It's not like you haven't done it before."

"Harvey, do we really have to-"

"If you question me again, I'll make you take your trousers off," Harvey growled in his ear, standing up and, with a cursory glance outside, bending him over the desk. Mike's cock swells at the rough handling and he swallows. He shoots his eyes to the corridor, and nobody is there. If Harvey is quick, he reasons, he might be okay.

"Get on with your reading, then," Harvey says as he rummages in the drawer next to him. Mike bends his head to get a glimpse and Harvey swats him. "Eyes front. Otherwise you look suspicious. If you look away from that paper _once_ during this, you'll get an hour corner time at home."

Corner time was Mike's least favourite thing. For someone of his brain power, it was practically torture. Plus, Harvey had added a clause that if Mike spoke, the time would start again.

"Ahem?" Harvey coughed.

"Er - yes sir?" Mike mumbled, as if he thought someone could hear him.

"That's more like it," Harvey purred. He was finding this amusing. He knew that Jessica had called a meeting that Louis and most of the staff on the floor were in, which meant that nobody would approach his office until about an hour. Mike not knowing it was far more amusing. "So…" Harvey ran his hand along Mike's ass, his suit pants pulled tight across his fat cheeks from bending over.

"I am incredibly displeased with you," Harvey said, landing a hard smack to Mike's crack. Mike bit his lip, flushing an even deeper shade of red. He wanted to die. "You should know how seriously I feel about this, to be spanking you here."

He raised his hand again and dealt five sharp smack to the same place, watching, slightly impressed, how well Mike held his position. Embarrassment was winning out over pain. Or maybe his boy was learning self control. Although, that was unlikely.

"Summarise," Harvey said as he let loose the full onslaught. He drew his hand back again and again, landing it across the seat of Mike's pants with a satisfying _THWACK._ Mike was trying so hard not to make a noise, or move, or look in any way suspicious in case someone came into the corridor. And his goddamn dick was betraying him, going haywire at the fact Harvey was spanking him in the office. It was just so hot. It just _screamed_ you are mine, and I will do what I want. Fuck.

"Mike?" Harvey didn't reprimand him for not replying because he was trying so hard to obey the rules of looking at the file.

"Oh- er- sorry," Mike mumbled, trying to clear space in his head amongst the pain and the pleasure. "I _lied - ah -_ and I disobeyed you - uh - ah - sir I'm sorry, please."

Harvey faltered slightly. Mike had never said _I'm sorry, please_ during a spanking. But, it wasn't the safe word. It wasn't anywhere near. Presuming it was a twist of conscience, Harvey continued smacking him, but lightened up a little bit just in case Mike was finding it all a bit much.

"Harvey?" Mike whimpered, when his ass felt like it had been incinerated.

"Yeah?" Harvey asked, pausing and resting his hand on Mike's back. It was stinging - he hadn't been gentle at all. To be honest, he was surprised Mike was still going.

"I - I - I can't…" Mike murmured, eyes still on the file. "I can't...submit here."

"I know," Harvey said, tugging on the waistband of Mike's pants and turning his around. Unfallen tears were swimming in Mike's eyes, his face was bright red and he had a noticeable bulge in his pants. Fuck. And Harvey made mental plans to rearrange the afternoon meetings. He needed to get home, with Mike, right _now._

He took Mike's hand in his and kissed it gently.

"I didn't want you to submit here," he explained. "I wanted to show you how seriously I take your health. Work is not more important than you. That's why I spanked you here. Okay?"

"Okay," Mike grinned, rubbing at his eyes and still looking embarrassed.

"I mean it, buddy. You don't lie to me, and you don't skip food and drink. If you do it again, I'll have to fire you. This place matters so much less than you."

Harvey met his eyes, his gaze unwavering and Mike felt himself blushing a little. He felt so cared for, so warm and soft inside.

"Now. I need to get you home," Harvey said, standing up purposefully. Mike tried not to beam.


	3. Chapter 3

Mike woke on Saturday afternoon, full of regret and self-loathing. He blinked, his head pounding and his mouth fuzzy and turned to look at the empty side of their bed. Harvey was away, consulting on a case for his friend in London. London. It felt like he was a million miles away. He had left on Wednesday. Work had been horrific without him. Going into the office, walking past his empty space...And it didn't help that Harvey kept sending him half naked photos of himself. Way to get him worked up.

The time difference made things unbearable. As Mike was still slaving away in the office, Harvey was getting ready for bed. They had time for snatched conversations here and there, and texting, but Mike just wanted Harvey. And the case was dragging on forever.

On Friday night, Mike had returned to the cold, empty apartment. Harvey had been asleep for hours. Mike stood, barefoot, in the middle of the flat and wondered how he had ever survived the sound of silence before. But then, he mused, silence is fine until the moment you meet the person whose mere breathing would be enough to make you happy.

"Pathetic," Mike sighed to himself, running a hand down his face. "What happened to you, man, you used to be cool."

After a mere two and a half hours alone, the emptiness had got to him too much. The prospect of spending an entire weekend, a whole 48 hours, in the flat alone…He called Trevor before he even made the conscious decision to do so. It was a risky move, on a good day. Harvey had always said that, despite all of the rules between them, he would never stipulate who Mike could and couldn't hang out with. Despite this, he made his distaste of Trevor very clear and, when Mike returned from hanging out with him, was either annoyingly aloof with Mike or incredibly possessive.

Mike was relatively sure that Harvey wouldn't be impressed with Mike's Friday night plans. Because he knew this, and because their relationship was so based on trust, Mike pulled out his phone and tapped Harvey a quick message. _Off out with Trevor, will text you when I get home safe, even though you'll still be doing your best sleeping beauty impression. Love you x_

Afterwards, Mike couldn't possible say what happened. He knew that it started with beer, lots of beer, and pool. And then he was getting involved in bets that he couldn't remember things, and then him and Trevor were winning at cards...And something about it just felt so much like the _old_ days. No responsibility, no high stress work, no sense of time or direction. Just hazy smoke on the air, and the smell of whisky and rum, and Mike's brain whirring as it counted cards for him. Something he had been acutely aware of lately was that he was getting older. Being in a stable relationship, and a stable job, was the most adult thing he had ever done. And in those moments, next to his high school mate, surrounded by all of the familiarity… he felt young and free again.

Until, the next day. His weed headache felt like it was going to split his head in half. He scrabbled for his phone, and saw the time flashing at him. 2.30pm. He groaned. He had six missed calls from Harvey, and five messages.

 _Thanks for letting me know, beautiful. You didn't text to say you were safe?xx_

 _Awake yet? Now who is Sleeping Beauty!xx_

 _Mike. Getting worried. X_

 _If you don't pick up your goddamn phone…_

 _I don't want to jump to any conclusions, I just hope that whatever is going on, you are safe. I'm heading into the office now, think we should wrap up today. Ring me as soon as you wake up, I'll pick up. Love you x_

Stomach sinking in regret, Mike dragged himself into a sitting position and put his head between his knees. Harvey's text, so full of love, had just made him feel worse. Hands shaking, he hit speed dial 1. Harvey picked up on the first ring, and Mike's stomach twisted in guilt again.

"Are you okay?" Harvey asked, not even waiting for Mike to speak.

"I… yeah," Mike said, hoping his voice didn't sound too hung over. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Thank god," Harvey said, and Mike could hear him moving away from voices, to find someplace quiet. "Mike, I've been worried sick - where were you?"

"Asleep, mostly," Mike mumbled. "Look, Harvey, I need to talk to you. But not on the phone-"

"Okay," Harvey said slowly, and Mike caught the warning tone in his voice. "Am I going to be angry, Mike?"

"Yes," Mike said after a pause. "You are."

There was a long, pregnant pause in which Mike imagined Harvey flying back to New York, packing his bags and kicking him out on the street. He could tell from the shallowness of Harvey's breathing that he was in trouble.

"I appreciate the honesty," Harvey told him finally, his voice softer than normal. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I...feeling?" Mike repeated, confused.

"Yes, Mike, it's a question asked to determine the physical and mental well being of another person," Harvey said curtly.

"You're not mad at me?"

Harvey let out a short chuckle.

"Oh, my boy, you've yet to discover the meaning of _mad_ ," Harvey growled darkly down the phone in a voice that both chilled Mike to the bone and gave him an instant erection. "But, you know that your well being is always the most important thing. So. How do you feel?"

"Bad," Mike said honestly, running a hand through his hair and trying to ignore how hot and bothered he suddenly was.

"Right," said Harvey, his voice suddenly becoming sterner. "You're going to get up, grab a shower and get dressed."

"Is that a suggestion?" Mike questioned quietly, not sure his pounding head could cope with such movement.

"No, mister, it's an order," Harvey said darkly. "And I expect to be obeyed."

"Okay," Mike muttered, biting down on his lip again. God. Why did Harvey sound _so_ hot when he was mad?

"Sorry, what was that?" Harvey said, a hint of threat in his voice.

Mike cleared his throat.

"Yes, sir," he said.

"Good boy," Harvey praised, and Mike couldn't help but smile. "I haven't finished with the orders."

"I didn't think you had," Mike replied softly, grinning despite of himself.

"Cheeky," Harvey breathed. It was hard for him to stay stern and cross. Even though he could guess what Mike had done, and even though he was furious, he hadn't seen the boy in days and his sleepy, scratchy, hungover voice was beyond adorable. "Once you're dressed, go to the store and buy _fresh_ orange juice, eggs, spinach and whatever else you fancy. I expect the juice to be drank, and you to eat at least three eggs with spinach. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Mike said, feeling tethered again. He felt a warm, cared-for glow in the middle of his chest even as he tried to rub the pain out of his head.

"Good," Harvey said.

"Anything else?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Harvey said. "If you _dare_ enter one of your spirals of self-loathing, the punishment you receive will be far worse than _anything_ you've encountered with me before, got it?"

Mike paused, letting the spine chilling threat hang in the air. He wasn't sure he understood.

"Harvey?" his voice held the question.

"I know you," Harvey told him gruffly. "You'll spend the entire day beating yourself up, hating yourself and convincing yourself that you aren't good enough for me and that I'm going to leave you. Am I wrong?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Mike admitted ruefully. Harvey chuckled affectionately.

"Who do you belong to, Mike?" Harvey asked in a voice that did nothing to get rid of Mike's hard on.

"You, Harvey," Mike replied.

"And who gets to punish you, when you're bad?"

"You, Harvey," Mike said, slightly louder.

"There you go then," Harvey said, as if proud of his infallible lawyer logic. "So if you take it upon yourself to punish yourself, I will be… _displeased._ "

"I got it," Mike replied. "I'll be good."

"Hardly likely." Harvey's humour was clear down the phone and Mike knew, with the familiar warm feeling Harvey always gave him, that they were going to be okay. His ass, maybe not. But the rest of him sure. "Get to it, then. I'll let you know how my timetable unfolds as the case moves along. Send me updates?"

"I will," Mike said. He paused, for a second, unsure of how to say everything he felt in a goodbye. He wasn't sure how he had been lucky enough to deserve a man like Harvey. Ready to love him, and guide him, and _forgive_ him in a heartbeat. "Harvey…"

"I know," Harvey said gently. "I know. I love you."

And just like that, the heaviness lifted. Having clear orders and expectations changed Mike's day completely. Before, in his old life, he would have led around in bed all day, wallowing and eating dry, leftover pizza. Instead, he was clean, dressed and eating a healthy (if unexciting breakfast). He would never understand why he needed this lifestyle as much as he did, but he knew that it was the only thing that could make him feel so content.

His quiet recovery was interrupted by a bleep from his phone. As he unlocked it and read the message, his body, which had calmed down after the shower, was catapulted into a highly aroused, if terrified, state of anticipation.

Case cracked. On the jet. Will be with you in seven hours. Be bent over the bed, naked, with your boxers pulled down. X


	4. Chapter 4

Mike stood in front of the bed and swallowed. He was full of horrific anticipation, and at the same time, unbearable arousal. He was excited to see Harvey, but also terrified to see Harvey. And this last stage, lying down on the bed, was the hardest part.

That was why Harvey had sent that specific instruction, Mike knew. Being naked was fine; he could handle that just fine. When he was naked, he was aware of how much Harvey was attracted to him. Regardless of the situation, even if it was a punishment, he found no shame in being naked. Instead, he felt sexy. But to have his boxers on but pulled down…that wasn't sexy. That was childish. Harvey had figured that out early on in their relationship, and when he particularly wanted to humble Mike, he would make him keep his boxers on for the punishment.

Mike eyed the pillow on the edge of the bed, and considered just leaving his boxers on, or taking them off altogether. He didn't have the bottle, though. If they were playing, he might do it to prompt more roughness from Harvey. But this wasn't play, it was punishment. And, Mike mused with a shiver; it was probably going to be bad enough as it was. Harvey's policy on drugs had always been crystal clear.

He heard a key jangle outside and, all thoughts gone, pushed his boxers down to just below his ass and lay face down on the bed. His ass was on the pillow, raised and ready for Harvey. He buried his face in the mattress, screwed his eyes shut and brought his arms behind him, crossing them at the small of his back in a sign of submission.

He heard the door shut quietly, and could imagine Harvey's smile at the realisation that Mike had obeyed him (they'd had some issues in the past with obedience, which Harvey naturally took as a personal insult). He heard the sound of shoes being slipped off, and some rustling of bags, and Harvey's briefcase clicking down on the coffee table. He heard the rustling of Harvey taking off his jacket, and what sounded like his shirt too, but tried not to get too hopeful. Then there was silence.

Harvey had managed to pad down the hallway and enter the bedroom silently, but when he caught sight of Mike he couldn't help an almost silent "Oh, fuck," escape his mouth. Going away was never easy. Him and Mike had a very active sex life. Very active as in, usually, at _least_ twice a day. And sometimes three, if the mood caught them when there was nobody in the disabled toilets. Not having had sex for days was hard. Not seeing Mike for days was harder.

And there he was, the perfect image of submission. His tight, beautiful legs stretched to the floor. His ass, fat and soft, rising above his pulled down boxers. His arms, folded at the base of his spine. And, even though Harvey knew it would be killing him, his face buried in the mattress and his eyes shut. There he was. Silent, full of repentance, compliant. Waiting. For Harvey.

Harvey could have stood there, in the doorway, for ever. Just looking at his boy.  
The tension was killing Mike. He could feel Harvey's eyes on him, scanning him up and down. He wanted to turn his head, look at Harvey, _see_ him again. But he didn't. He couldn't.

When he thought he was going to burst, Harvey spoke.

He had moved, without Mike's awareness, and was stood right next to him.

"Don't speak," he breathed gruffly. "I don't want to hear a word, until this is over. Nod if you understand."

Mike nods, quickly. Eagerly. He notes that Harvey said word, not sound. Harvey kneels, dropping down onto one knee. His hand brushes gently along Mike's naked ass, and the contact causes goosebumps to spring up on Mike's skin instantly. He resists the strong urge to rut his aching cock against the pillow. Harvey marvels at how beautiful Mike is when he's this pliant and submissive. It's a rare moment. Usually, it takes time to guide Mike into this frame of mind.

Harvey sighs, and steels himself. He can tell that the reason Mike is already there is because he knows that he screwed up bad.

"Nod for yes, shake for no," Harvey instructs firmly, sitting down next to Mike on the bed. Mike feels Harvey's trouser fabric brush against his skin, and yearns to reach out and twist it between his fingers in comfort. But he doesn't do that. "Did you go out with Trevor last night, as your text suggested?"

Mike nodded. He was struggling. It was hard not to speak. It felt strange, being forbidden a voice. But it also made him feel more reliant on Harvey than he ever had before. The man was taking complete control over him. It was exhilarating. And terrifying.

"Did you get drunk?" Harvey quizzes, his hand back on Mike's ass, but not stroking this time. He just rests it there, a heavy, warning weight. Mike nods.

"Did you smoke weed?" Although he already knows the answer, Harvey's anger is barely concealed in the sudden curtness of his tone. He watches Mike's shoulder muscles tighten, and swears his hands shake a little. Harvey runs his hand between Mike's shoulder blades, forcing him to relax. He waits.

Mike is fighting with himself. He wants to get this over with. But part of him feels like, if he just holds off, his doom may never come. Harvey's hand, rubbing comforting circles between his shoulders, isn't helping. He can't tell how mad Harvey is, and that's not reassuring. He'd rather know.

"If I were you, Michael," Harvey breathed, suddenly right by his ear, making him jump. "I would answer the question." Harvey's breath, warm on Mike's ear, sends thrilling chills down his spine. And now Mike knows. Harvey is mad. Because he called him Michael.

Mike bites his lip, and nods.

Harvey lets the silence hang, knowing that anticipation drives Mike crazy. He wondered how many different possibilities the fantastic mind was whirring up of ways in which Harvey was going to make him suffer.

"I'm…disappointed," Harvey said, sighing heavily. "I really am."

Mike felt warm tears spring to his eyes the second he heard that, and he opened his mouth to speak, to apologise, to plead, to beg…but he remembered his gag order and clamped his mouth shut again with an audible click of his teeth.

"Good boy," Harvey murmured in praise, trailing his fingers lightly along the ridges of Mike's spine. He knew, angry as he was, that Mike would crumble without reassurances. "Good boy. You're being perfect."

He stood, and walked over to the wardrobe where they kept their supplies. He opened it slowly, allowing the door to creak loudly, and fiddled around loudly. He could hear the hitches in Mike's breathing, and knew that this was the harshest he'd been in terms of anticipation. He removed a silk tie, and the cane, before shutting the door again. He moved back towards Mike, setting the cane down on the bench they had at the end of the bed, out of Mike's eyesight.

"I'm tying your hands," he told the younger man, twining the fabric around Mike's wrists. Mike knew, at the soft brush of silk rather than the cold metal of their usual cuffs, that Harvey was going to go big. Mike was going to be struggling, and Harvey didn't want him to hurt his wrists. It would have been sweet if…yeah. "Safe word is _marijuana,_ " he said, his tone twisting slightly. "Nod if you understand."

Mike nodded begrudgingly, feeling his cheeks pinken slightly as Harvey finished tying the ribbon. All this, and he still hadn't caught sight of his gorgeous dom. Harvey sat down next to Mike again and placed a hand on his head, pushing it down lightly into the mattress so he couldn't turn and look up. With his other hand, he manhandled Mike's body so that instead of being over the pillow, he was now draped over Harvey's left leg.

"Someone is a little…excited," Harvey mused, his tone amused. Mike risked a slight rut against Harvey's thigh in response, and Harvey chuckled lightly. "All in good time. All in good time."

He raised his hand and brought it down hard against Mike's left cheek. Not quite anticipating such a sudden start, Mike squeaked. Harvey kept his other hand in Mike's hair, gently rubbing. Without holding back, Harvey set to task of warming Mike's ass up, dealing harsh swats across his butt, watching as it quickly turned pink. Determined to make an impression, Harvey was more thorough than usual, and fought to remain impassive to Mike's whimpering.

He removed his hand from Mike's hair to pull the skin taut where buttock met thigh, so that when he smacked his hand down, it delivered an intense sting. Mike was struggling already, and when Harvey started smacking him like that, he was sure he couldn't stay silent. This was, by far, the sternest hand spanking he had received. And the worst of it was, he was sure that there would be more than a hand for such an infraction.

"Stop biting your lip," Harvey suddenly said in a very authoritarian voice. "I am not going to be happy if your mouth is too sore for what I have planned later."

Mike, unable to say the _yes, sir_ that sprang to his lips, nodded frantically. The skin at the tops of Mike's thighs now blotchy and red, Harvey turned to smacking his upper thighs. Mike rocked back and forth in some kind of attempt to shield himself, but a particular harshly aimed swat to his inner thigh (too close for comfort) was warning enough to still him.

When Mike's thighs and butt were a deep shade of pink, Harvey stopped. He rested his hand on Mike's warm skin, rubbing gently. He could hear Mike's breathing, sharp and stuttery as he fought for oxygen around the burn in his ass.

"Catch your breath," Harvey instructed quietly. "We aren't done."

Mike had suspected as much, but it suddenly became too much for him. The combination of Harvey saying he was disappointed, and the hardest hand spanking he'd _ever_ had, became a little too much for his frazzled brain. It didn't help that he _knew_ the cane was coming. He'd only been caned once. And it had been because of Trevor, and drugs. And it had been the worst. He burst into tears, sobbing somewhat frantically into the mattress. His hands tugged subconsciously against the tie, wanting to come up and cover his face. Harvey paused, taken aback momentarily. But only momentarily.

"Right," he said, using his gentle but authoritative tone. "Let's take a beat."

He reached down, and pulled the end of the tie, causing it to unravel. Wanting to give Mike space, and room from the punishment, he quickly tugged his boxers back up and over his red ass. Mike mewled. Harvey gently scooped Mike up off his lap, and moved to the head of the bed, sitting down with his back to the headboard and Mike's back against his chest.

"Ssh," he said softly as Mike whimpered at the contact of his ass with the bed. "Shut your eyes."

Mike shut his eyes and Harvey ran his warm hands gently down his chest, rubbing circles on his warm skin. Mike could feel Harvey's breathing steady and slow against his back, and began to breathe more evenly calming down.

"Speak to me," Harvey whispered in his ear, hands still moving. "Why did you get yourself so worked up?"

Mike's barriers were already down. Sometimes, it took heaven and earth to drag things out of him. But he'd already submitted long ago, he'd lost the battle.  
"I…I hate that I've disappointed you," Mike admitted quietly. His voice sounded strange after so much silence. Harvey's hands still didn't stop.

"We shouldn't have to have this conversation every time you need a punishment, Mike," Harvey said gently. "You know full well that we do this _because_ you need to accept responsibility for actions. There's no use then berating yourself, even as you serve out the justice. You know that with every action, there will always be forgiveness. I know you, Mike. You make mistakes, we all do. And yes, I was disappointed," he said quietly. He leant in and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Mike's neck. "But… you have shown me a lot more responsibility than in times gone past, and I very proud of that."

He pressed another kiss to Mike's neck, slightly lower down.

"You didn't lie to me, or hide it from me," he said gently, kissing again. "I would never have known. But your trust in me, in us, in _this_ … I was so proud."

Mike shut his eyes, and breathed. He was entering subspace, and he didn't know if Harvey wanted that or not. Usually, he just wanted Mike in a submissive but tethered state. Subspace was for play.

"Harvey, I-"

"Drifting, I know," Harvey said, rubbing his hands along Mike's shoulders, easing out the tension. "Don't worry. I'll be bringing you back in a minute. But for now, this is important. You need to know that I'm proud of you. You need to know that even when we have to do this – and I see we, because it's both of us – when _we_ have to do this, it doesn't stop me being proud of you." He bent, kissing along the ridges of Mike's right shoulder.

"When I came into the flat, and found you submitting to me, so obedient, so beautiful, so… fucking sexy… I was proud," Harvey continued, running lines along Mike's shoulder blades. "There's always a way out, Mike. There's always a way to make me proud."

Mike nodded dreamily. Slowly, he wriggled so Harvey's grip loosened. He crawled forwards, and laid himself back over the pillow.

"I'm ready for the cane now," he said quietly. "Please, sir."

Harvey doesn't know what to say. He remembers the last time he used the cane on Mike. It certainly hadn't been quite so easy.

"There you go again," Harvey said gently, standing up. "Making me proud."

Harvey moved to the end of the bed and picked the cane up, testing its bend slightly. He steeled himself. He hated the cane. It was the one implement that brought neither of them any pleasure in the moment. He didn't use it, unless Mike left no option. And they had been over and over and over the reasons why Mike had to leave the bad habit behind.

Harvey looked at the discarded tie, and decided against it. He straightened up and slipped into the mindset he needed to do this.

"Pull your boxers down," he instructed sternly. "Naughty boys get caned on their bare bottoms."

"Can you not say _boys_?" Mike asked suddenly, a wave of his usual cheekiness coming through after Harvey's gentle reassurances. He no longer felt like nothing. "Makes me think you're caning other people and I- OW!"

Mike yelped as Harvey's hand came down hard against his right thigh. Harvey grabbed Mike's boxers and yanked them down, making him feel even more like a child than if he'd just done it himself.

"It does not make you think that, don't be absurd," Harvey reprimanded. "Gag order recommences _now_. I may have shown lenience just now, but for the final part of this, there is _none._ You speak; I cane you on your thighs. Do you understand? Nod."

Mike nodded.

"I am caning you because this is a lesson I have tried to teach you before, but you have failed to listen. You do _not_ do drugs. We have been through all the reasons why," Harvey said sternly. "I will show no mercy with this. You are not to see Trevor for at least a month. Nod if you understand."

Mike nodded.

"I woke at 8am my time. You did not text me to let me know you were okay until eleven hours later. For eleven hours I didn't know where you were. I didn't know what you were doing. I didn't know who you were with," Harvey said, his tone dark as he lay the cane across Mike's burning cheeks. He saw Mike tense slightly, but he didn't move out of position.

"You may speak only to answer my next questions," Harvey said, lightly tapping the cane but not hitting. "To whom do you belong, Mike?"

"To you, Harvey," Mike murmured, twisting his head to meet Harvey's eyes. "I belong to you."

And that was almost too much for Harvey. His beautiful boy, red assed on the bed, a cane against his ass, pledging himself. Had Harvey possessed the self-control of the average man, he would have abandoned his mission and already be fucking Mike. But, he reminded himself as he felt the primal urges stirring, he was more in control than that. That's what Mike loved about him. He was a dom to the end.

"Interesting," Harvey mused, still tapping with the cane. "Because I would expect, that if someone were to belong to me, they would not break my rules. They would also not leave me not knowing where they were for eleven hours."

Harvey moved suddenly so his fist was in Mike's hair, deliciously tight, and he pulled Mike's head up slightly so he could speak in his ear.

"You. Are. Mine," he growled. "You need to remember who you are, and _whose_ you are, each and every time you step away from me."

Mike was looking at him so needily, and hungrily, that Harvey was the closest he had ever come to breaking. He released his hair and pushed him lightly into the bed.

"I hope you've been paying attention," he said lithely. "I have a number in my head. If you get it wrong, I double it. How many are you getting, Mike?" He knew he would know. Of course he knew. He was Mike. He knew everything.

"Eleven," Mike said, his voice every bit as husky and aroused as he was. "Please, sir."

"You stop playing me," Harvey growled. "Shut your mouth now."

He stood quickly, placed the cane back against Mike's ass and lifted it. Without warning, he snapped it down against Mike's red skin. A deep red line formed instantly and Mike moaned. If Harvey didn't know better, he would have thought Mike almost enjoyed it.

"One," Harvey said. "You belong to me."

Mike's cock was oddly unaware that he was being caned. Harvey's hand in his hair had sent chills down his spine, springing his body into hyper aware arousal. And the words coming out of Harvey's mouth were too hot to handle.

"Two," Harvey said as he brought the cane down half a centimetre lower. Mike moaned again, pain sinking deep into his skin. "You do not disobey me."

"Three," Harvey continued, bringing the cane down again. Mike's ass rippled in response as Harvey flicked his arm down again, sooner than Mike was expecting. This time, Mike cried out. "And four. If you ever do drugs again, and I mean _ever,_ you – five – are going to be – six – too sore to sit down for a week."

Mike now had six deep red lines in perfect order down his ass, like lines on writing paper. Harvey could see he was struggling with the pain now, and hoped that the message would sink in. He raised his hand higher, and brough the cane down four times in quick succession, pushing Mike over the edge into gentle sobs.

"And I don't – seven – mean that theoretically," Harvey said. "Eight. I mean that I will – nine – quite literally – ten – make sure that you ass is so sore, you _cannot_ sit."

Mike nodded frantically, sobbing into the mattress, unable to beg and plead and promise to be a good boy like he usually did.

"One more," Harvey said quietly. "Look at me."

Mike twisted his head around and brought his big, watery puppy eyes up to look at Harvey. He stuck his bottom lip out, smiling slightly despite himself. Harvey fought his own smile at the spectacle.

"What do you need to remember, when you are away from me?" Harvey asked, tapping the cane against Mike's ass. He rested the thin wood against his sit spot, where bottom met thigh, where it was going to hurt the most. He saw the anticipation in Mike's eyes. Mike knew this one was going to be the worst.

"I need to remember who I am," Mike said quietly, sobbing, his gaze unwavering. "And whose I am. I am yours, Harvey. Yours."

Harvey grinned devilishly, brought the cane up and, without breaking eye contact, brought it down hard against Mike's sit spot. Mike, obedient and submissive, flinched but didn't shut his eyes.

"I mean it, Mike," Harvey said quietly. "This ends now. This is the last time."

Mike nodded, and dropped his head, crying quietly into the mattress. Harvey wanted nothing more to gather him up in a big hug, but he was a responsible dominant who prided himself on never leaving lasting damage. He set the cane down and moved quickly to the chest of drawers, withdrawing the bottle of arnica gel they kept for sterner sessions.

"Flat on the bed," Harvey told Mike gently. He didn't need his stern voice after punishments, Mike was always pliable. Soft. Mike gently hauled himself up and lay on the bed fully, still sobbing quietly.

Gently Harvey rubbed the cool gel over Mike's cane marks, as soft as a feather. As he did so, he told Mike, again, how proud he was of him. Then, he went to the kitchen and got a bottle of water which he forced (gently coaxed) Mike to drink. Hands on Mike's back, he waited for the tears to subside, which they did eventually.

"Can I…?" Mike whispered, inches away from Harvey's face.

"When have I ever said no?" Harvey smirked, placing his hands on Mike's face and drawing it to him, kissing him warmly.

After a moment they broke apart, Mike with that same needy look on his face that had almost broken Harvey earlier. At least now, he could break.

"You know," Mike said. "That was _almost_ hot."

"I thought as much," Harvey mused, running his fingers through Mike's fluffy, tangled hair. "The noises you made at the start were practically pornographic."

"Maybe we could play one time," Mike said gently, a delightful pink blush spreading across his cheeks. "Not hard, though."

"Oh, Mike is getting over his fear of the cane?" Harvey teased. "Might have to find something else."

"Nope," Mike said, shaking his head enthusiastically. "I'm _never_ going to be bad again."

Harvey laughed enough for both of them. 


End file.
